The Ox and the Mule

For some time an old farmer had been plowing with an ox and a mule teamed together; working them pretty hard. The young ox said to the mule, "Let's play sick today and rest a little while." But the old mule said, "No, we need to get the work done, for the growing season is short."

But the ox played sick, and the farmer brought it fresh hay and corn and made the ox comfortable. When the mule came in from plowing, the ox asked how it went in the fields. "We didn't get as much done," answered the mule, "but we did a fair stretch." Then the ox asked, "What did the old man say about me?" "Nothing," said the mule.

The next day the ox, thinking it had a good thing going, played sick again. And when the mule returned from the field very tired, the ox asked, "How did it go today?" "All right, I guess," the mule replied, "but we didn't get much done." Then the young ox asked, "What did the old man say about me?" "Nothing to me," the mule answered, "but he did stop and have a long talk with the butcher."

Never give up!

I found this funny but inspiring cartoon from my email. I find it as one of the best representations of determinism and persistence. Most of us may have been in the frog's shoes one way or the other, but only few must have slipped out of the bird's throat. Simply because we have lost the will to fight or have just given up and lost hope. In every hopeless situation we are in, we must learn to accept it, so that we can deal with it and cope with it until we are able to get out.

An Old Irish Prayer

Take time to work, it is the price of success.

Take time to think, it is the source of power.

Take time to play, it is the secret of perpetual youth.

Take time to read, it is the foundation of wisdom.

Take time to be friendly, it is the road to happiness.

Take time to dream, it is hitching your wagon to a star.

Take time to love and be loved, it is the privilege of the gods.

Take time to look around, it is too short a day to be selfish.

Take time to laugh, it is the music of the soul.

An Ancient Sanskrit Poem

Look to this day
for it is life
the very life of life
In its brief course lie all
the realities and truths of existence
the joy of growth
the splendor of action
the glory of power
For yesterday is but a memory
And tomorrow is only a vision
But today well lived
makes every yesterday a memory
of happiness
and every tomorrow a vision of hope
Look well, therefore, to this day!

Life is from A to Z...

Life is ADVENTURE dare it.

Life is BEAUTY worship it.

Life is CHALLENGE meet it.

Life is DREAM realize it.

Life is ENDURANCE cope with it.

Life is FRAGRANCE smell it.

Life is GAME play it.

Life is HEAVEN take it.

Life is INITIATIVE take it.

Life is JOURNEY complete it.

Life is KEROSENE burn it.

Life is LOVE enjoy it.

Life is MYSTERY unfold it.

Life is NAME find it.

Life is OPPORTUNITY catch it.

Life is PROMISE fulfill it.

Life is QUESTION answer it.

Life is REALITY face it.

Life is SONG sing it.

Life is TIME utilize it.

Life is URGE satisfy it.

Life is VOICE listen to it.

Life is WEALTH acquire it.

Life is X ? solve it.

Life is YEARNING go after it.

Life is ZENITH attain it.

The man and the apple tree

A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and play around it everyday. He climbed to the treetop, ate the apples, took a nap under the shadow...

He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him. Time went by...the little boy had grown up, and he no longer played around the tree every day.

One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad. "Come and play with me," the tree asked the boy.

"I am no longer a kid, I do not play around trees any more", the boy replied.
"I want toys. I need money to buy them."

"Sorry, but I do not have money...But you can pick all my apples and sell them.
So, you will have money."

The boy was so excited. He grabbed all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy never came back after he picked the apples. The tree was sad.

One day, the boy who now turned in to a man returned, and the tree was excited.

"Come and play with me" the tree said.

"I do not have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me?" "

"Sorry, but I do not have any house. But you can chop off my branches
To build your house."

So the man cut all the branches of the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy but the man never came back since then. The tree was again lonely and sad.

One hot summer day, the man returned and the tree was delighted.

"Come and play with me!" the tree said.

"I am getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat," said the man.

"Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail far away and be happy."

So the man cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and never showed up for a long time. Finally, the man returned after many years.

"Sorry, my boy. But I do not have anything for you anymore.
No more apples for you..." The tree said.

"No problem, I do not have any teeth to bite." The man replied.

"No more trunk for you to climb on"

"I am too old for that now" the man said.

"I really cannot give you anything... The only thing left is my dying root,"
The tree said with tears.

"I do not need much now, just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years" the man replied.

"Good! Old tree roots are the best place to lean on and rest. Come, come sit down with me and rest."

The man sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears...

Ten Laws of Lifetime Growth

by Dan Sullivan and Catherine Nomura

1. Always make your future bigger than your past.

2. Always make your learning greater than your experience.

3. Always make your contribution bigger than your reward.

4. Always make your performance greater than your applause.

5. Always make your gratitude greater than your success.

6. Always make your enjoyment greater than your effort.

7. Always make your cooperation greater than your status.

8. Always make your confidence greater than your comfort.

9. Always make your purpose greater than your money.

10. Always make your questions bigger than your answers.

Clock, Thorns and Heart